Karachi braces for strong winds

KARACHI: The Sindh government has declared an emergency in the coastal area of the province as Met Office forecasts strong winds Tuesday, two days after torrential rains and what experts described as mini-cyclone wreaked havoc in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the Met Office, the speed of the winds might reach about 10 to 20 nautical miles in Karachi, home to at least 20 million people.

Provincial Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon says administration in Sindh’s coastal areas particularly Karachi has been directed to “make final precautionary measures” keeping in view weather forecast.

The minister directed Managing Director of the Water Board and Chief Engineers of all the Districts to make sure cleaning of sewer lines and cancel vacations of all the employees of the local government department.

More than 45 people lost their lives and several houses were destroyed as a rainstorm hit Peshawar and adjoining districts on Sunday.